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Archive for Worth A Read

Each week Church And Technology.ca shares some of the worthwhile reading we found on the web that you might be interested in.

Church And Technology.ca’s list of interesting articles from the last week:

Anybody Can Do Facebook, But Here are Five Tips You Need to Know – Christian Media Magazine
Even if we don’t use it, we’re all at least a bit familiar with Facebook and it’s ubiquity in the digital space. There have been lots of changes recently though and it’s important to keep at least somewhat abreast of what’s going on whether you use Facebook or not. One great way to keep up is to read current articles on Facebook best practices like this one. They usually take into account the current situation so you’re basing your decisions on what’s going on right now. As an example, there’s lots of discussion right now about how effective or not Facebook Pages are for ministry, especially if you don’t have a budget to pay to promote posts. This article is great as there’s a lot in here.

Just a website? Where’s the rest of your digital presence? – Dean Sprung, LinkedIn Influencer
A good overview of the different digital options your church or church organization can use. He calls them essentials, which is over kill, but they are good things to think about. Do you have to have more than just a website, no. But is it a good idea if you can manage it, for sure.

Each week Church And Technology.ca shares some of the worthwhile reading we found on the web that you might be interested in.

Church And Technology.ca’s list of interesting articles from the last week:

Creating a Hashtag for Your Event – KristaNeher.com
A confession, I love live Tweeting from events. To me it’s one of the greatest things about social media; anyone can share what’s happening at any event with any/everyone. I also love to get the skinny on what’s happening at events I would love to attend, but can’t. The best way to follow an event is to follow the hashtag(s) that are being used for it. If there’s not an official hashtag this becomes a bit more difficult and I’m never sure I’m getting everything. If you want to help people at your event (and those that wish they could be there) connect, make sure you have an official hashtag. And don’t forget to promote it.

Connecting Your Church’s Digital Presence to Ministry Effectiveness – Church Tech Today
It’s common adage that you and your church “need to be online”. How do you know if it’s worth your effort however? This is where analytics comes in. Here’s a quick overview of some of the things you should be paying attention to to measure how it’s going in your online ministry.

Each week Church And Technology.ca shares some of the worthwhile reading we found on the web that you might be interested in.

Church And Technology.ca’s list of interesting articles from the last week:

Four Things I Wish I’d Known About Managing Facebook Pages – Christian Media Magazine
If you manage a church Facebook Page, these are important things to know. You might be aware of them already, they’re pretty basic: pictures, all day long, importance of Facebook insights. It also includes my favourite, ‘Your Posts Might Not Be Seen’. The truth about Facebook today is that sometimes no one will see your post. It’s not your fault, that’s how Facebook does things now, but if you don’t know that, it can feel pretty disheartening.

Just a website? Where’s the rest of your digital presence? – LinkedIn
I know it can be overwhelming thinking of everything you “have to be” doing online. It’s important not to ignore posts like this though just because you don’t feel you have the time to do anything else. I find sometimes reading about what I “have to” do reminds me of the essentials and lets me stop doing something that’s not really necessary. On the other hand, it can also give me ideas of what else I could be doing that I might enjoy more. If there are two “have to do” things and I only have time for one, I might as well pick the one I enjoy.

Announcement:
If you’d like to learn more about Church Social Media use, join me and other church social media professionals at one of the upcoming Going Digital for His Kingdom conferences. You’ll get to learn from some of the best minds out there on how to improve your ministry using Social Media.

Each week Church And Technology.ca shares some of the worthwhile reading we found on the web that you might be interested in.

Church And Technology.ca’s list of interesting articles from the last week:

My Top 10 Church Logo Designs – SteveFogg.com
A church logo is a great way to differentiate your congregation from others, as well as add a little colour and non-text to letters and the like. Some good ideas here if your looking for logo designs.

Changes To Facebook: What You Need To Know – AmyPorterfield.com
Here’s a Facebook change that can be a real advantage to your church Facebook page. Being able to track what’s working on other church Facebook pages can help you do a better job of your own. It’ll take a bit I’d work, but it’s so worth it.

Announcement:
If you’d like to learn more about Church Social Media use, join me and other church social media professionals at one of the upcoming Going Digital for His Kingdom conferences. You’ll get to learn from some of the best minds out there on how to improve your ministry using Social Media.

Each week Church And Technology.ca shares some of the worthwhile reading we found on the web that you might be interested in.

Church And Technology.ca’s list of interesting articles from the last week:

Mobalizing Social Media for Mission Trips – Church Executive Magazine
Travelling in the age of social media is different then it used to be. If the folks at home aren’t seeing a new picture or 20 from you every 3 days or so, they start wondering what’s happened. For folks on Mission/Exposure trips, this is no different. There’s an extra feature though and that’s that posting on social media is a great way to keep people back in the congregation involved in the work being done.

3 Signs of a Bad Church Website – Church Media Magazine
It’s the basics that are the most important. Can people find you when they search? Can they find the information they are looking for? Are they greeted by something warm, friendly and current when they arrive? I can’t push these points enough. Apparently neither can others.

Announcement:
If you’d like to learn more about Church Social Media use, join me and other church social media professionals at one of the upcoming Going Digital for His Kingdom conferences. You’ll get to learn from some of the best minds out there on how to improve your ministry using Social Media.

Each week Church And Technology.ca shares some of the worthwhile reading we found on the web that you might be interested in.

Church And Technology.ca’s list of interesting articles from the last week:

One Seismic Shift Churches & Non-Profits Need To Make Now In Social Media – SteveFogg.com
Here’s a very brief summery: Using social media is no longer a free way to promote/keep in touch. Unfortunately I have a feeling this will be a slow lesson for many churches. It sucks I know, but it’s true. You don’t have to pay much, but with the changes to the Facebook algorithm for pages, even if you’re creating lots of engaging content, you’re likely only hitting 5% of your church’s Facebook audience. And that will be making it’s way to other social networks as well. No budget at all? Facebook’s still not a waste of time, but it’s not the connection machine it once was.

5 Ways to do Church Communication on the Cheap – Orange Leaders
Cheaper isn’t always better, and as mentioned in my comments on the last article, as well as this one, churches need to start thinking about the possibilities of paying for social media views. However, taking a look at what you can do for the least expense is often a good exercise for organizations, churches included. I’d also add taking a look at PicMonkey for image editing using Google Hangouts On Air for live streaming church services.

Quit Asking for Tips, Develop a Social Media Strategy – Church Tech Today
I’m a big fan a strategy. It doesn’t always come easy to me as I also love to experiment with new platforms and tools, but I recognize it’s importance and strongly encourage everyone to determine their strategy. This can be before getting started, or if you didn’t then, afterwards works too. A late strategy is better then no strategy.

Announcement:
If you’d like to learn more about Church Social Media use, join me and other church social media professionals at one of the upcoming Going Digital for His Kingdom conferences. You’ll get to learn from some of the best minds out there on how to improve your ministry using Social Media.

Each week Church And Technology.ca shares some of the worthwhile reading we found on the web that you might be interested in.

Church And Technology.ca’s list of interesting articles from the last week:

50 Social Media Habits You Can Stop Doing Now – Ann Handley: Author of “Content Rules” Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs
While I wish this post had the full 50 things rather then a link to a, admittedly free, book, it does make some good points. More then that though it reminds us that like offline society, things are constantly evolving on social media. Just because something made sense last year doesn’t mean it does now. This shouldn’t scare you though, I personally find it freeing. It means it’s never too late to join and start learning. It also means that something you thought may have been a good idea before but didn’t work, might just work now, so you might as well give it a go again.

More Facebook Impact For Your Church – Christian Media Magazine
I most appreciate the second point “Extend the Sunday Message”. It includes great ideas like
You can ask questions related to it, create picture quotes from it, post short video clips of it, show behind the scenes of the Pastor prepping, short clips of staff talking about it, text post of Scriptures from it
other things you could do include: new related thoughts and questions you got asked during coffee. The later stresses that people are already engaging you about it.

A guide to Google Plus notifications – Plus Your Business
If your church is on Google+, or thinking about adding a Google+ strategy you should take a look at this post. It goes through they different ways you can have Google+ notify you, as well as some of who you’ll be sharing with when you post in different ways. While you won’t find as many people on Google+ as you will on Facebook say, due to Google+’s influence on Google search results, it’s something to consider.

The Typecast Church: Old-School, Tech-Junkie, or Digital Church? – Church Tech Today
It’s a pretty simplified analysis, but interesting none the less. There’s always more technology that can be added to your church, but it’s not always good. It’s not necessaraly bad either. Like in life, church technology use needs to be in balance with the goals of the congregation as well as the people involved and those they are trying to reach.

Announcement:
If you’d like to learn more about Church Social Media use, join me and other church social media professionals at one of the upcoming Going Digital for His Kingdom conferences. You’ll get to learn from some of the best minds out there on how to improve your ministry using Social Media.